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Dear Planetary Steward, dear friend of the Global Commons Alliance,
What a rollercoaster the last few days have been. As many of us were still returning from a politically disappointing yet collectively motivating COP16, we had to reckon with the likelihood that already slow environmental progress will be significantly hampered by an incoming US president funded by record oil and gas company donations.
However, with the global COP29 climate talks underway in Baku, Azerbaijan this week—where a critical new deal on climate finance needs to be agreed—we cannot afford to dwell in disbelief. This week the WMO reported that 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record, following a terrifying trend of the past decade.
From the US and Africa to Europe and small island states, global heating is destroying economies and communities with floods, droughts, wildfires and ever increasing sea levels. Azerbaijan itself is one of the most at-climate-risk countries in Eastern Europe. Despite this, Azerbaijan, along with Brazil and the UAE, plan to prioritize short-term profits and increase oil and gas production by 32%. This decision severely contradicts the glaring fact that our economy relies entirely on a healthy planet and flies in the face of scientific advice.
Safeguarding our global commons is in every nation’s self-interest, because, when healthy, the commons provide the perfect conditions for societies to thrive. This is why most countries are moving forward to decarbonize, halt and reverse nature loss, and center social justice in their efforts to do so. The key now is speed and scale, which need to accelerate against an even more difficult backdrop.
We clearly have an even steeper journey ahead of us in 2025. Facing that road with urgent optimism – a galvanizing phrase I heard repeatedly at the Earthshot Week of networking and dialogues, as well as at the Earthshot Prize ceremony last week – is all the more crucial to our resilience. I participated as a member of the Protect & Restore Nature Expert Advisory Panel and was impressed by the diverse innovations and passion to drive and scale solutions for people and the planet. Earthshot spotlighted young entrepreneurs from more than 30 African countries. Their testimonies and active work on the ground embracing brave leadership and accelerating innovation gave us glimpses of how it is possible to build up resilient societies and economies in balance with the planet that we call home.
Jane Madgwick with Geordin Hill-Lewis, Mayor of Cape Town and Sweta Chakraborty, We Don’t Have Time
Collaboration and determination to curb the harms to people and planet caused by mismanagement of the global commons and the current economic system have become more vital than ever. It’s time to come together across divides and show how much value there is in building the Safe and Just future that everyone on Earth deserves.
All my best,
Jane
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